1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a contact element for an electrical switching apparatus.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Such contact elements are already known, wherein different constructions of actuating tappets are employed for the different switching functions xe2x80x98openingxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98closingxe2x80x99. It is here a disadvantage to have a high number of individual parts to be fabricated and the requiring assembly as well as the expensive assembly mounting of the contact elements.
It is an object of the present invention to furnish a contact element of the initially described kind, which avoids the recited disadvantages.
It is a further object of the invention to furnish a versatile contact element with a low number or required parts.
It is yet another object of the invention to construct a contact switch such that it can be assembled both as a normally open switch and as a normally closed switch.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become evident from the description which follows.
The present invention provides a contact element for electrical switching apparatus having a casing with a basis part and cover part, two electrical fixed contacts having connections for electrical conductors and disposed inside of the casing, and an actuating tappet supported over a first spring means in the casing and movable in an axial direction for receiving of a contact bridge, wherein the contact bridge serves for connecting or, respectively; interrupting the electrical connection between the two fixed contacts, wherein the actuating tappet is constructed such that the contact bridge can be disposed in two different positions having a distance from each other at the actuating tappet.
According to a further embodiment of the contact element, the casing of the contact element and by adaptation thereto, the actuating tappet is constructed advantageously such that the actuating tappet is also mountable having an incorporated position rotated by 180 degrees around a perpendicular axis relative to a longitudinal axis of the actuating tappet.
The invention comprises furthermore electrical switching apparatus such as in particular manually actuable input apparatus, for example pressure switches or rotary switches, wherein the contact device is formed by a contact element according to the present invention. Furthermore the present invention also comprises power switching apparatus such as contactors, control gates, power switches, and power circuit breakers or the like, wherein then the auxiliary switch is formed by contact elements according to the present invention.
Further details and advantages of the invention result from the following embodiment illustrated by way of the FIGS.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.